Method of forming open mesh fabric



May 22, 1934. MULLER 1,960,023

METHOD OF FORMING OPEN MESH FABRIC Filed Jan. 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4:5 q Q Q 9; to 0 0 a:

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Fly 1 Egg 2 INVENTOR iimderic]: Mz'illez" BY ms ATTORNEY May 22, 1934. MU 1,960,023

METHOD OF FORMING OPEN MESH FABRIC Filed Jan. 24, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Frederick Mz'iller BY His ATTORNEY c, I W

May 22, 1934. M LLEiQ 1,960,023

METHOD OF FORMING OPEN MESH FABRIC Filed Jan. 24. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 if? I INVENTOR v Frederick Md Zler Patented May 22, 1934 METHOD OF FORMING OPEN MESH FABRIC Frederick Miille'r', Elizabeth, N. J., assign'or to Squeez-Ezy' Mop 00., Inc;, New Orleans, La, a

corporation of Louisiana:

Application January 24,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of forming open mesh. fabric of a kind particularly adapted for mopping purposes, and which is composedof strands of soft cotton or similar absorbent material sewed together at spaced points which are sufficiently far apart to provide a fabric of relatively large mesh.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient method by means of which fabric of this kind may be produced in large quantities at a minimum of labor and expense.

Such object is attained by the practice of the new and novel method constituting my invention which, in one embodimentthereof, consists in 5 drawing successive lengths from a continuous strand of body material and laying the same on a supporting bed in substantially parallel relation, feeding the strand lengths from said initial position to a sewing position, sewing the successive lengths together at spaced points instaggered relation, severing the thread at the spaced points upon the completion of the sewing operations, and thereafter withdrawing the sewed lengths from sewing positionto permit of the 5; advance. to such position of the succeeding lengths, the whole operation being a continuous one;

The method is illustrated in an exemplary way in the accompanying drawings,- in which- 4 Figs. 1 to l inclusive" illustrate certain successive steps in the practice of the method, com miencing with the laying of the initial pair of strands of which the mesh fabric is formed, on" through to the completion of a piece'of the fabric.

Figs. 1:: to 611 are sections through correspondingly marked section lines on Figs. 1 to 6 respectively, looking from the left of the latter figures, but showing the strand manipulating instrumentalities somewhat more comprehensively than in 40 said latter figures;

Fig. 2b is a section through the correspondingly' marked section line on Fig. 2.

' Figs. 8",.-9'and:1=0, each show edge and plan views or certain of the strand manipulating devices to be hereinafter referred to; and

Fig. Ii is a sectional detail showing a means for severing the thread of a group of stitches upon the completion of such group.

In practicing my invention in one form thereof, a supply of a continuous strand ofbody material, in cop or spool form, will be placed ona suitable support from which it may be readily drawn. The leading end ofsuchstrand, indi-- cated at s, will then be held stationary, as by means of a fixed pin 2 about which it may be 1931, Serial No. 510,904

given a holding turn, following which an initial pair of lengths of strand will be drawn from the source of supply and laid upon a supporting bed in substantially parallel relation, as shown in Fig. 1. This laying of the strand lengths may be effected in any desired way, a preferable way being the employment of a reciprocating feed pin 3 operating in a predetermined path to engage the strand at one end of said path, carry it in loop form to the opposite end of its path and there 'drop or release it, and then return to the beginning of its path to repeat the operation.-

After the first pair of strand lengths are thus laid, asshown in Figs. 1- and 1a, they are next fed forward, in a direction transversely of their length, from such initially laid positionto asewing position,- as shown in Figs-.- 2 and 2a, this moving forward of the strand lengths permitting of the laying of the succeeding lengths in position while the first or preceding pair are being sewed m together and thus expediting the operation as a whole. I g I v Such feeding of the strand lengths, which may be eifected in any desired way, is here accomplished by-a series of laterally spaced reciprocating pushers i which are operated to advance from their normal retracted position shown in Fig. 1',- tothe'full length of their feed stroke,- with a twopart movement.- The initial or first part movement acts to advance the strand lengths from the position of Fig. 1 tothatof Fig. 2', where the first lengthis beneath a set of needles 1t adapted to be carried in the vertically reciprocatinghead or a sewing machine of any usual or suitable construction, these needles being adapted for cooperation with complementary loopers (not slrown) of astitch-forming mechanism in usual manner. When the strand lengths have been brought to such position, the needles descend through the" first length to make an initial stitch and then raise above the work; following which the pushers complete their forward stroke and thereby bring the strand lengths to their final sewing position'against a set of op osedback gages 5-, as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the pair of strand lengths are fastened together at spaced. points by groups of fastening stitches, indicated at a;- which are preferably effected by the stitchforming mechanism having a vibrating movement to carry the stitches back and forth fromone strand to another as shown.

After a pair of strand lengths have been fully advanced to sewing position by the reciprocatingpushers as described, they'are held in such position during the sewing operation by a set of so-called retainers, indicated at 6. These retainers are preferably pivotally mounted at their front ends on a stationary support (not shown) whereby their rear or free ends may be raised by the passage of the strand lengths thereunder, as shown in Fig. 2a, and thereafter drop behind said lengths when the latter are fully advanced, as shown in Fig. 3a, in which latter position the end walls of the retainers act as gages in cooperation with the back gages 5 to firmly hold the interposed strand lengths in position during the sewing operation. This holding or retaining of the strand lengths in sewing position by the retainers 6 permits of the return movement of the pushers during such time to their retracted position for feeding engagement with-the succeeding pair of strand lengths; in this way assuring increased rapidity in the formation of the fabric being produced.

Following the sewing of the first pair of strand lengths as described, the back gages 5 are raised from their gaging and holding position, as shown in Figs. 1a to 4a, and moved forwardly over, and down in front of, the sewed strand lengths, as shown in Figs. 5 and 5a, after which they are moved backwardly to their initial position to withdraw the sewed strand lengths from sewing position and'make room for the succeeding pair being advanced to such position, as shown in Figs. 6 and 6a.

As thus far described, one pair of strand lengths have been sewed together at separated points in their length, this pair being the first or initial pair of the fabric. It now becomes necessary to sew the succeeding pairs being advanced, which is done in the manner just described, and at the same time sew together the adjacent strand lengths of the successive pairs at points intermediate of the groups of stitches connecting the lengths of these pairs, whereby the completed fabric, when drawn or opened out, will present an open mesh of substantially diamond shape formation, as shown in Fig. 7. This is accomplished by means of a second set of stitch-forming instrumentalities, including a set of needles, 11., arranged in staggered relation to the first mentioned set, n, as indicated in Fig. 2, and adapted to be carried by the same reciprocating needle head.

When a second or succeeding pair of strand lengths are now fed to sewing position, the adja-' cent lengths of this second pair and the preceding pair will be sewed together by the said second or staggered set of stitch-forming instrumentalities through the formation of connecting groups of stitches, indicated at 1), arranged intermediate of the stitch groups connecting the lengths of each pair, and these groups 2) being formed simultaneously with the groups 0 connecting the lengths of the second pair, as shown in Fig. 6.

After the sewing of the first two pairs of strands together in the way described, the operation is then repeated as long as successive pairs arelaid and brought tosewing position, that is, as each successive pair is brought to sewing position, the lengths of such pair are sewed together and simultaneously therewith one of the strands of such pair is sewed to the adjacent strand of the preceding pair, as will be clear by reference to Fig. '7.

When sewing together the adjacent lengths of successive pairs, as by the stitch groups I), there would be a likelihood of also sewing in the adjacent or second length of the advancing pair if means were not taken to prevent it. Therefore, in order to avoid this possibility, I separate the strand lengths of the advancing pairs opposite the points where the stitch groups b are to be made, as indicated by the spaces 7 in the several views; in this way assuring against an additional strand length being sewed in. Any suitable means may be employed for this purpose, a desirable means comprising a set of so-called separators, indicated at 8, which are adapted to be reciprocated in unison with the pushers 4, and, when advanced from their normal retracted position, shown in Figs. 1 and la, are positioned and controlled to initially move in a plane above the strand lengths until advanced to a position with their front ends over the first length of the pair, when they are dropped between the pair and separate the same, as shown in Figs. 2 and 217, following which they function as pushers to move the immediately engaged portions of the front length into contact with the preceding length, as shown in Fig. 6, preliminary to the sewing operations.

Upon the completion of each set of stitch groups uniting the lengths of one pair and one of the lengths of such pair with the preceding pair, the threads of each group are simultaneous- 7 1y severed at a point below the work by suitably operated cutters, such as indicated at 9 in Fig.

11, in which latter the thread loop is shown held 105 by a looper, indicated in section'at 10.

By the practice of the method herein described, open mesh fabric of the kind referred to may be produced rapidly and economically by a continuous operation.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative only, and that modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope as defined in the appended 115 claims. For example, instead of the sewing instrumentalities being vibrated relatively to the work in the formation of the fastening stitch groups, these may be operated in fixed paths and the work be vibrated relatively to them.

What I claim is:

1. The method of forming open mesh fabric by a continuous operation, consisting in drawing successive lengths from a continuous strand of body material and laying the same in substantially parallel. relation, feeding the laid strand lengths in a direction transversely of their length with an intermittent movement, sewing successive lengths together simultaneously during the feeding movement by separate groups of stitches in staggered relation, severing the thread of the individual groups of stitches upon completion of the sewing operations, and thereafter drawing the sewed strand lengths away from sewing position to provide open space for the succeeding 135 lengths.

2. The method of forming open mesh fabric by a continuous operation, which includes, laying yarn from a continuous length in consecutive parallel lines, and stitching each alternate line 140 to the lines on both sides thereof in staggered relation therealong by discrete discontinuous groups of stitches leaving each said alternate line of yarn where it is stitched to an adjacent line unstitched to the line on the opposite side. 145

3. The method of forming open mesh fabric by a continuous operation, which includes, laying yarn from a continuous length in consecutive parallel lines and during the laying of subsequent lines of yarn, successively and separate- 1-50 ly stitching each alternate line to the lines on both sides thereof simultaneously in staggered relation therealong by discrete discontinuous groups of stitches leaving each alternate line of yarn where it is stitched to an adjacent line unstitched to the line on the opposite side.

4. The method of forming open meslr fabric by a continuous operation, which includes, laying yarn from a continuous length in consecutive parallel lines, feeding the laid lengths in a direction transversely of their length, successively stitching each alternate line to the lines on both sides thereof simultaneously by discrete discontinuous groups of stitches in staggered relation therealong, leaving each said alternate line of yarn where it is stitched to an adjacent line unstitched to the line on the opposite side, and intermittently withdrawing two stitched lines of yarn at a time from sewing position and advancing two unstitched lines of yarn at a time to sewing position.

5. The method of forming open mesh fabric by a continuous operation, which includes, laying yarn from a continuous length in consecutive parallel lines, feeding the laid lengths in a direction transversely of their lengths, and during the laying of subsequent lines of yarn successively stitching each alternate line to the lines on both sides thereof simultaneously by discrete discontinuous groups of stitches in staggered relation, holding the lines of yarn, where the stitching is applied, close together during the sewing operation, and serving the thread at each group of stitches upon completion of the sewing operation leaving each alternate line of yarn where it is stitched to an adjacent line unstitched to the line on the opposite side and intermittently withdrawing two stitched lines of yarn at a time from sewing position and advancing two unstitched lines of yarn at a time to sewing position.

6. The method of forming open mesh fabric by a continuous operation, consisting in laying yarn in successive parallel lines, successively placing consecutive lines of yarn in groups of three within the stitching range of a plurality of stitching needles arranged in a row parallel with the lines of yarn, in such a way that the rearward line of each such group of three becomes the forward line of the next succeeding group of three placed within the stitching range of said needles, stitching the center line of each said group of three at certain places to the line adjacent its one side and simultaneously stitching said center line at intermediate points to the line adjacent its other side, and severing the threads upon the completion of the stitching of each group of three lines of yarn and prior to the placement of the next succeeding group of three lines of yarn within the stitching range of the stitching needles.

'7. The method of forming open mesh fabric, which includes, laying yarn in contiguous parallel lines, progressing said lines in a direction transverse to their length, stitching said yarn lines together along lines running transversely of the yarn lines intermittently in alternate relation along said transverse lines and simultaneously in staggered relation relatively to the length of the yarn lines, each yarn line as the yarn lines are progressed being stitched along said transverse lines to a yarn line adjacent one side and unstitched to the yarn line adjacent its other side,

and each yarn line along its length being stitched at said transverse lines alternately to yarn lines adjacent opposite sides thereof.

FREDERICK MULLER. 

